5 of the Finest Okanagan Bike Adventures

A selection of beautiful bike rides dotted around the best Kelowna riding zones.

Charlie Boscoe

Images

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Huge views across the Okanagan Valley from the descent.

by Charlie Boscoe

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Looking down on Rose Valley Lake.

by Charlie Boscoe

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Taking a minute to soak in the ambience of the descent.

by Charlie Boscoe

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Looking down on Lake Okanagan from a snowy Mount Hayman.

by Charlie Boscoe

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If you encounter conditions like this on the ascent, don't give up - we had perfect conditions for the descent on the day this photo was taken!

by Charlie Boscoe

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The bridge 2kms in - turn right!

by Charlie Boscoe

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Lost Lake

by Charlie Boscoe

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Taking a pause on the way down

by Charlie Boscoe

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Smooth tracks, big views - welcome to Crawford.

by Charlie Boscoe

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Looking up Crawford Canyon from near the bottom of the descent

by Charlie Boscoe

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On the short trail to Lost Lake

by Charlie Boscoe

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Tearing down the descent

by Charlie Boscoe

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At Lost Lookout near the start of the ascent

by Charlie Boscoe

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Huge views across the Okanagan Valley from the descent.

by Charlie Boscoe

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Taking a break to soak it all in

by Charlie Boscoe

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Beautiful colours on the way up

by Charlie Boscoe

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Fabulous colours on the ascent

by Charlie Boscoe

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Typically fun terrain on the way down

by Charlie Boscoe

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At the start of Feel the Love

by Charlie Boscoe

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At the Lookout Shortcut viewpoint

by Charlie Boscoe

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An unusual landmark midway up the ascent!

by Charlie Boscoe

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One of the mellower sections on the upper part of Feel the Love

by Charlie Boscoe

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The Balsamroot Bluff Trail passing close to the Magic Estates Trail.

by Charlie Boscoe

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The Simpson Trail looking incredibly tempting!

by Charlie Boscoe

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On the first downhill section of the Balsamroot Bluff Trail, with Lake Okanagan visible in the distance.

by Charlie Boscoe

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At the start of the Balsamroot Bluff Trail.

by Charlie Boscoe

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Description

Whether you're a local or a newcomer to the Okanagan, there's not much to dislike - a deep blue lake, rolling hills and the best climate in Canada add up to a pretty appealing package. Kelowna is increasingly becoming known as a mountain biking mecca too, and for good reasons - including the 5 in this guidebook.

There are several well known biking areas above Kelowna, with Smith Creek, Rose Valley, Crawford and Knox Mountain being the most popular. This guidebook contains at least 1 route in each of those areas so if you ride all of these lines you'll have begun to get a feel for the local zones.

The longest ride here is the (frankly epic) journey along Rose Valley's McDougall Rim. If you like a challenging uphill, wilderness and miles of glorious singletrack then you'll love it. The rides we've described at Crawford - Lost Lake and Crawford Canyon & Myra Bailout - are similar in that they involve tough climbs, but they're a little less "out there" than McDougall Rim and are better options for getting into the longer Okanagan rides. The 2 most straightforward routes in here are a fabulous trip over Knox Mountain and a trip down Smith Creek's best known line, called "Feel the Love".

Huge views, virtually guaranteed sunshine and perfect singletrack - head to the Okanagan for a week of epic riding!

Adventures

McDougall Rim

Rose Valley's classic long ride is well worth the hype!

Myra Bailout

One of the longest and best loops at Crawford - this trip is all about the journey and the views.

Feel the Love

Smith Creek's best known trail is pure Type 1 fun! The views aren't bad either....